Palestinians to Apply for UN Recognition Today

U.S., Israel, and Canada remain dead set against the statehood bid.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will submit an application to have the United Nations recognize the occupied territories as an independent country today. Despite an intense lobbying campaign by the U.S. and Canada in recent weeks to get Palestinian officials to reverse course, Abbas and other Palestinian officials are moving ahead with the application to have East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza recognized as a state by both the UN's General Assembly and the Security Council. The U.S. says it will veto any Palestinian effort in the Security Council. Abbas will address the General Assembly this afternoon to make his case for recognition, and will be followed shortly thereafter by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who isn't too keen on the push. Not one bit.